Are there contradictions in the 4 gospels concerning the resurrection of Christ?

[Mancunian]

Jesus promised to bring all the things he said to memory, This eliminates the oral transformation or "the telephone game effect" The oral tradition was perfect until all was written.

Jn 14:26-27
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Read the opening post that addresses this misconception

What Extra-Biblical Sources Confirm

• • Tacitus: The 2nd-century Roman historian recorded that Jesus suffered the extreme penalty under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius, and noted that the movement suppressed for a moment broke out again (referencing the rise of Christianity). [1, 2]
  • Flavius Josephus: The 1st-century Jewish historian wrote in the Antiquities of the Jews that Jesus was a wise man, did surprising deeds, was condemned to the cross by Pilate, and that "he appeared to them alive again on the third day" (though scholars debate the exact phrasing of this passage, known as the Testimonium Flavianum).
  • Jewish Authorities / Babylonian Talmud: Early opponent testimony did not deny that the tomb was empty or that Jesus's body was missing; instead, they attempted to account for it by claiming the disciples stole the body, providing indirect extra-biblical acknowledgment of the empty tomb.

Early Internal/Scholarly Evidences Cited by Historians
While not "secular" external proof, historians evaluate several very early shared data points:

• • The 1 Corinthians 15 Creed: Dated by critical scholars to within 3 to 5 years (or up to a decade) of the crucifixion, recording an early confession of Jesus's death, burial, and post-mortem appearances to Peter, the 12 Apostles, and over 500 witnesses. [1, 2]
  • Transformed Lives: The sudden, radical shift of skeptical or fearful figures—such as James the Just (Jesus's half-brother) and Paul of Tarsus—who claimed to have seen the resurrected Jesus and were martyred for their conviction. [1, 2, 3]
  • The Birth of the Church: The rapid establishment and survival of the Christian movement in Jerusalem, the exact city where Jesus was publicly executed and buried, where opponents could have easily produced a body to crush the movement

There is no evidence that the original 4 gospels were circulated anonymously. This distinction belongs to the gnostic texts.
see Simon Gathercole's peer-reviewed article, The Alleged Anonymity of the Canonical Gospels
, published in the Journal of Theological Studies in 2018. Gathercole challenges the inference that the Gospels must have circulated anonymously simply because their authors do not name themselves within the texts.

The evidence is....
The population at the time were largely illiterate and relied on word of mouth to pass things along.
The contradictory gospels are exactly what you'd expect from sources of the time.

 

[shepherdsword]

The evidence is....
The population at the time were largely illiterate and relied on word of mouth to pass things along.
The contradictory gospels are exactly what you'd expect from sources of the time.

You are acting as if the so called "contradictions" haven't been already debunked.

 

[Mancunian]

The Bible does not specify anything about abortion. God gives life and He alone takes it. It is usually a selfish act to abort a child. The cost, the error of the one night stand, your freedom, responsibility that you just dont want. "I'm just not ready yet" ... "the father is a loser ... "my career ... all that education"... I want to secure a house in a nicer neighborhood first", etc. etc. In the case of saving the mom or the child, of course one would choose the mom. That is a tough one. In the case of a rape, it is a terrible violation against the woman, however, the fetus is innocent and if God chooses to create one, then it is His call. It is still the child of the woman. She can still love it ... or give it up to adoption. But she would later regret that.

The Bible does actually specify about abortion... The Bible condones priests forcing miscarriage with God's blessing.
Only under circumstances though which is ok apparently.

 

[Mancunian]

You are acting as if the so called "contradictions" haven't been already debunked.

There are contradicting accounts.
The accounts of the empty tomb contradict eachother, and these contradictions carry on through the gospels... Who witnessed these contradictory accounts? More contradictory accounts about who was there.

The single most important thing for the Bible to confirm.... And yet again the Bible failed.

 

[shepherdsword]

There are contradicting accounts.
The accounts of the empty tomb contradict eachother, and these contradictions carry on through the gospels... Who witnessed these contradictory accounts? More contradictory accounts about who was there.

The single most important thing for the Bible to confirm.... And yet again the Bible failed.

Did you even read the OP? The APPARENT contradictions have all been addressed.

 

[Mancunian]

I’ve told you repeatedly -> reigning with the Messiah; a permanent position in his government.

Ok...
What do you think that will entail?

 

[Matthias]

Ok...
What do you think that will entail?

Everything the prophets lay out in scripture. The promises of God, if you prefer to think of it that way.

 

[Mancunian]

Did you even read the OP? The APPARENT contradictions have all been addressed.

By addressed, do you mean swept under the carpet?
You might think that they've been addressed. I don't think that they've been addressed.

 

[Mancunian]

Everything the prophets lay out in scripture. The promises of God, if you prefer to think of it that way.

Such as?

 

[Matthias]

Such as?

No exceptions. You said you’ve read the Bible. You know what the promises are, if you‘ve read it. So, why are you really asking about something you already know?

 

[shepherdsword]

By addressed, do you mean swept under the carpet?
You might think that they've been addressed. I don't think that they've been addressed.

Well you know what they say, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink

 

[Mancunian]

No exceptions. You said you’ve read the Bible. You know what the promises are, if you‘ve read it. So, why are you really asking about something you already know?

Yeah I know what the Bible says.... What do YOU think?
It's all very well that you think that you'll be a part of the government, what will that entail?
What does your day to day look like in eternity?
What exactly do you think that you'll be doing?

 

[Mancunian]

Go into detail Mathias if you can.

 

[Matthias]

Yeah I know what the Bible says.... What do YOU think?

I think what the Bible says is true. You already knew that. You haven’t been forthcoming about why you’re really asking. Why is that?

It's all very well that you think that you'll be a part of the government, what will that entail?
What does your day to day look like in eternity?
What exactly do you think that you'll be doing?

I’ll be doing what the Messiah will be doing.

 

[Matthias]

Go into detail Mathias if you can.

You say that you aren’t here to learn. You say that you’ve read the Bible and that you‘re re-reading. If the Bible doesn’t persuade, nothing I say will persuade you.

And that brings us back to why you’re really asking.

 

[Mancunian]

I think what the Bible says is true. You already knew that. You haven’t been forthcoming about why you’re really asking. Why is that?



I’ll be doing what the Messiah will be doing.

Ok. So in other words, you don't know.
So that just proves that you are promoting something that you know nothing about. You have no strong evidence that the thing you're promoting actually is a thing anyway, and you expect to be taken seriously?

If anyone here can give me a run down of what this eternal life might entail it would be much appreciated. After all nobody wants to back a loser. Having some idea of what you're devoting your life to is probably a good idea

 

[Matthias]

Ok. So in other words, you don't know.

You aren’t asking because I don’t know what the Bible says about it. You’re asking to further your agenda.

So that just proves that you are promoting something that you know nothing about. You have no strong evidence that the thing you're promoting actually is a thing anyway, and you expect to be taken seriously?

If anyone here can give me a run down of what this eternal life might entail it would be much appreciated. After all nobody wants to back a loser. Having some idea of what you're devoting your life to is probably a good idea

 

[Mancunian]

I haven't got an agenda.

 

[Matthias]

I haven't got an agenda.

Everyone has an agenda.

 

[Mancunian]

What could my agenda possibly be? To lead you all down the path of unbelief?

If you think I've got an agenda, please explain what you think that my agenda is.